The present invention relates to an electrical socket, and particularly to a central processing unit (CPU) socket having an improved latching means. CPU sockets are well known in the pertinent art and widely used in computer industry. Thus, the CPU sockets are very competitive in markets and one which has a good performance while maintains low manufacturing cost is undoubted predominate.
A copending U.S. patent application with an unknown Ser. No. filed on Oct. 24, 2001 with a title xe2x80x9cBALL GRID ARRAY SOCKET CONNECTORxe2x80x9d and assigned to the same assignee, discloses a CPU socket 8 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The CPU socket 8, named as a zero insertion force (ZIF) pin grid array (PGA) socket, has a non-conductive base 80, a movable cover 81 mounted on the base 80 and an actuator member 83 fastened at one side of the base 80 for moving the cover 81 with respect to the base 80. The base 80 forms a pair of latching members 803 and each latching member 803 has a body portion 804 and a horn portion 805 vertically extending from the body portion 804. The cover 81 has a pair of hook members 811 for hooking the latching members 803 and each latching member 803 has a vertical body 812 and a horizontal hook 814 normal to the vertical body 812 for hooking the horn portion 805 of the base 80. During movement of the cover 81, a normal force F1 generated in the hook portion 814 causes an opening moment M1 with respect to the latching member 803, which results in the cover 81 floating with respect to the base 80. This phenomenon is very disadvantageous because the floating of the cover drives the CPU (not shown) mounted thereon floating also, and thus causes pins of the CPU disconnecting from the conductive contacts (not shown) of the CPU socket 8. One solution is that a backup plate 84 is manufactured and inserted into a space room beside the hook members 811 so as to block the hook members 811 from opening and accordingly prevent the cover 81 from floating with respect to the base 80. However, the backup plate 84 will undoubtedly increase the manufacturing and assembly costs of the electrical socket 8, which is disadvantageous in the competitive market.
Hence, a CPU socket with improved latching means is desired.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a CPU socket having an improved latching means which can ensure reliable connection between the base and the cover thereof while can reduce manufacturing and assembling cost of the CPU socket.
A CPU socket in accordance with the present invention comprises a non-conductive base defining an array of through holes, a plurality of conductive contacts retained in corresponding through holes, a movable cover covering the base and an actuator member for moving the cover with respect to the base. The base defines a shaft slot extending from one lateral side thereof toward a center portion thereof for receiving the actuator member and forms a pair of latching members beside the shaft slot. Each latching member has a body portion and a horn portion inclined and downwardly extending from the body portion and a first acute angle is defined between the body portion and the horn portion. The cover forms a pair of hook members for engaging with the latching members of the base. Each hook member has an elongate body and a hook portion which define a second acute angle equal to the first acute angel for fittedly latching the horn portion of the base.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.